


The Sublet

by javajunkie



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Agents of SHIELD - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Romance, Romantic Comedy, roommates au, they were roommates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:40:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25641460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/javajunkie/pseuds/javajunkie
Summary: Daisy is surprised to find out that her one-night-stand is also her new roommate.  Daisy/Sousa AU
Relationships: Skye | Daisy Johnson & Daniel Sousa, Skye | Daisy Johnson/Daniel Sousa
Comments: 188
Kudos: 214





	1. Chapter 1

Daisy woke up slowly, eyes squinting as the bit of light coming in from the window sliced across her eyes. She covered her eyes with her palm and felt her elbow press against something solid. Immediately, she pulled her arm back, peaking between two fingers at the naked man lying next to her. She vaguely remembered meeting him last night. They had been at some bar in the Village, shouting over too-loud music. She remembered then pressing against him on the dance floor with a vodka tonic wedged between them. Her phone buzzed on the nightstand and she picked it up.

From: Jemma  
FYI – that guy from Craigslist will be here in fifteen minutes.  
Daisy swore under her breath and looked down at the floor beside her bed. She spotted one of the big shirts that she slept in but never quite got around to putting in the laundry bin and grabbed it, pulling it over her head. She reached over and tapped her bedfellow on the shoulder.

“Hey, wake up,” she said.

He stirred, blinking up at her and then smiling slightly as he said, “Good morning.”

Daisy took a deep breath and then, without much fanfare, said, “Good morning. I need you to leave.”

He wiped at his eyes blearily and said, “What?”

“My roommate and I have someone coming to talk about our spare room in about fifteen minutes and I don’t really want him thinking we bring random guys home. So…” He didn’t move and Daisy said, “Dude, take the hint.”

“Sorry, right,” he said immediately, starting to get up but then he looked down, realizing that he was naked. “Any chance you know where my clothes are?”

“Clothes. Right.” Daisy looked around and spotted a pair of boxers underneath her desk, the pants and rumpled button-up not that far away. She handed them over and then turned around, waiting impatiently for him to dress. All she could think about was a cup of coffee and hopefully getting a bagel down before their interview.

“So, um, it was nice meeting you last night,” the guy said. 

“Yeah, you too,” she said distractedly.

“I was thinking-“

“I’ll stop you right there,” Daisy said. She looked over her shoulder gingerly and when she saw he had his pants on she turned around. “Last night was fun, but it was just that.”

“How did you know what I was going to say?” he asked with an arched eyebrow.

“Experience. Except, I guess I don’t really know,” she relented, crossing her arms over her chest. “What wereyou going to say?”

“I was going to ask you to dinner,” he said, finishing buttoning his shirt. “But I’m guessing it’s a no?”

“I’m not a dinner person.”

“What about lunch?”

She smiled slightly and said, “It was nice sleeping with you.”

He laughed. “Yeah, you too. So, I guess I’ll see you around?”

“Probably not,” she returned truthfully. She made it a habit not to sleep with relationship people, and he was clearly in that camp. She should have known better from the button-up alone.

“Well, take care then,” he said, brushing her arm as he walked past her and out of her bedroom. Jemma was sitting on the couch and offered him a congenial greeting with a raise of her tea cup. Daisy followed him into the living room and after he slipped out of the front door, Jemma said, “He seemed nice.”

“Don’t start,” Daisy said, heading straight to the kitchen and pouring herself a cup of coffee. She checked the clock. Ten minutes. Not really enough time for a bagel. Looked like it was going to be a granola bar morning. 

“What was his name?”

“Daniel, I think,” Daisy said, taking a bite of granola bar. “It’s so weird to me when guys use their full names like that. Daniel. It seems so old-fashioned.”

“I like it,” Jemma said. “I think it shows character. And that’s too funny that that’s his name.”

“Why?”

“The guy we’re meeting at 10 is also a Daniel.” Jemma grinned wide and said, “What if it’s the same Daniel? Can you imagine?”

“Yeah, let’s not.”

“I’m sure it’s someone different,” Jemma said decidedly and took a sip of tea. Ten minutes later, there was a knock on her door and Daisy opened the door, going pale when she saw the guy she had kicked out of her bed fifteen minutes earlier.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she murmured.

“I know,” he said quickly. “I didn’t even put two and two together until I tried to order an Uber to get here on time and realized I was already here. I swear I didn’t know last night.”

“I know,” Daisy said, exhaling sharply before she stepped back and said, “Why don’t you come in?”

“Hello Daniel,” Jemma said. “I’m Jemma. I was the one you spoke with on the phone.”

“Yeah, it’s nice to meet you,” he said. “Although, I guess we technically already met?”

“I don’t think that first one really counts,” Jemma said, taking far too much joy from the awkwardness of the situation. “Come sit down!”

Daniel sat down on the couch, hands clasped on his lap, and said, “You have a nice place here.”

“Thank you. So, you’re looking to sublet a room for a few months?” Jemma said.

Daniel nodded. “Yeah, I was living with a buddy but we had a sort of falling out. Most leases I’ve seen don’t start until August, so I figured in the meantime I would sublet a room.” 

“Tell me, Daniel, what are your thoughts on dishes in the sink?” Jemma proposed.

“Did someone forget how to wash them?” he returned.

Jemma smiled slightly. “Overnight guests?”

His eyes slid to Daisy. “Fine, so long as everyone is respectful.”

“Are you a morning or night shower person?” Daniel looked at her strangely, and she said, “It’s a fair question. Bathroom flow is very important.”

“I’m a night person.”

Jemma nodded appreciatively. “Okay. Will you excuse me and Daisy for a moment?”

Jemma slipped into her bedroom, Daisy following her, and after she closed the door said, “So, what do we think?”

Daisy wasn’t convinced, and said, “There are other people.”

“Like who? He’s clearly our best option, Daisy.”

“It feels weird. I don’t really know if I want to be seeing him around all the time, you know?”

“Daisy, you slept together once. Who cares?”

“I care. It’s weird. I kicked him out of my bed and now – “ she gestured sharply toward the door, “ – he is sitting in our living room.”

“Daisy. The only other person who responded to our ad had five cats. Who would you rather have live with you? The guy you slept with or guy with five cats?”

“I like cats,” Daisy said stubbornly.

“Not that much. Come on, Daisy, it’s only for a few months. You know we could really use the money.”

“I know,” Daisy relented. 

“And he seems nice and polite. I’m sure if you tell him – hey, let’s pretend we didn’t sleep together – you’ll be fine.”

Daisy stared at her and then shook her head. “You’ve been with Fitz too long.”

“It’s only a few months,” Simmons repeated. “We can make anything work for a few months, right?”

Daisy wanted to argue more, but she also knew that if they didn’t find someone soon they were going to be short on next month’s rent again, so she took a deep breath and said, “Fine.”

Without another word, she walked back into the living room and told Daniel, “Rent is due the first of every month. No extensions.”

Daniel held her gaze and nodded. “Deal.”

“Alright then. Well, welcome to apartment 10G.”


	2. Chapter 2

Rain pelted the window outside Daisy’s bedroom, seeming to drive home the point that after being in bed for an inordinate amount of time, she still hadn’t managed to fall asleep. She turned on her side and grabbed her phone, the brightness of her screen making her eyes hurt. 

_2:02 a.m._

Daisy groaned and put her phone back on the nightstand, turning onto her back and staring into the blackness. She knew she shouldn’t have watched those _Criminal Minds_ episodes before she went to sleep. She listened to the rain pelting against her window, the relentless drone reaching its crescendo and then abating, the storm moving on to another zip code. Daisy hoped that sleep would come next, but then she heard something. A sort of rustling sound coming from the living room. She sat up, straining to hear more. There it was again. Daisy wondered if maybe she was just hearing things. Like, she was listening so hard that it was only natural she would hear _something_. But, there it was again. Except, this time it sounded more like footsteps. Daisy’s door faced the common area, so she could tell that there weren’t any lights on. So, whoever was rustling around their living room was doing so without lights.

A chill ran up Daisy’s spine and she quietly slipped out of bed, grabbing the Swiffer propped up next to her laundry bin. (She had brought it in with all intentions of cleaning a few days prior, but then became distracted by some text messages and just left it against the wall.) Slowly, she opened her door and walked out into the living room. She could see the silhouette of a person at the sink and she moved forward covertly, beginning to raise the Swiffer when the person turned around, yelping as she brought the Swiffer down onto something solid.

“What the hell?” Daniel said loudly.

He turned on the kitchen light, looking at her like she was insane. He rubbed at his arm, where her Swiffer assault had apparently landed.

“Shit, Daniel, I’m so sorry. I thought there was someone in the apartment.”

“And you were going to take them out with a Swiffer? That thing weighs like two pounds.”

“It was the closest thing I could grab!”

“What in the world is going on out here?” Simmons said, walking out of her bedroom with Fitz behind her. 

“Well, Daisy tried to kill me with a Swiffer when I was getting water,” Daniel said. Daisy felt like he left out some pertinent information, and began to respond, when Simmons said, “Oh Daisy, are you watching _Criminal Minds_ before sleep _again_ ”

“You seriously need to stop watching that show,” Fitz said.

“In my defense, Daniel was out here getting water in the pitch black like some weirdo,” Daisy said. “What was I supposed to think?”

“It’s the middle of the night and I know where the faucet and cups are. I didn’t want to wake you guys up by putting on lights.”

“If you really thought someone was in the apartment, why would you grab the Swiffer?” Fitz asked suddenly.

“I said the same thing!” Daniel said. “There isn’t enough weight behind it.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Fitz said.

“You guys are all the worst,” Daisy said. “And I am going to bed.”

* * *

The next morning, Daisy made good use of the Swiffer, straightening up the apartment before her parents visited. Daniel was quietly reading on the couch, sparing her all but one joke about the Swiffer as she busied herself around the living room. Simmons threw out the garbage, and when she came back in, she said, “I’m pretty sure I saw your parents parking out front.”

Daisy peaked out the window and sure enough, there were her parents. Her dad was trying ineffectually to parallel park in a spot right in front of their building. She couldn’t tell what her mother was saying, but by the expression on her face, she was pretty sure it wasn’t good.

“I don’t know why he always tries to do this when they visit,” Daisy said. “My dad is literally the worst parallel parker.”

“How long do you think it’ll take your mom to kick him out the driver’s seat this time?” Simmons asked.

“Oh, she already looks mad, so I’m guessing twenty seconds. Thirty tops.”

Sure enough, approximately half a minute later, Daisy’s mom unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car, standing in front of the hood until her husband begrudgingly got out of the driver’s seat. He stepped onto the sidewalk and watched his wife seamlessly park the car. 

“I want to be your mom when I grow up,” Simmons said. “Did you see that?”

“She’s pretty amazing,” Daisy agreed.

Daisy’s mom got out of the car and while she looked aggravated, her dad said something and her mother smiled slightly, shaking her head before walking with him toward the building. A few minutes later there was a knock on the door and she opened it, giving each of her parents a hug.

Phil Coulson beamed down at his daughter. He loved her from the moment he and May adopted her. She wasn’t exactly an easy child to raise, but he always admired her stubbornness. Sometimes, he jokingly said she got it from May, but it was one of the jokes his wife didn’t appreciate, so he kept it on a maximum once-a-year rotation. Phil waved over at Simmons and then stopped short when he saw the man sitting on the couch.

“Sousa? What are you doing here?”

Daisy looked between her dad and Daniel, and stammered, “You two know each other?”

“Yeah, he’s the new history teacher at school,” Phil said. He was a principal at a local high school and Daisy vaguely remembered him mentioning something about a new hire.

“Of course, he is,” Daisy said. “Well, Daniel is our new roommate. He’s subletting the spare bedroom for a few months.”

“Well, look at that. Talk about a small world, huh?” Phil said with a wide grin.

“Yep. The absolute smallest.”

“It’s great to see you, Phil,” Daniel said. 

“I hope my daughter is treating you well,” Phil said. 

Daisy looked over at Daniel, praying he wouldn’t mention the Swiffer incident, but he smoothly replied, “She’s been nothing but a model roommate.”

“So, are we ready to go to lunch?” Daisy asked.

“Yes, we’re ready,” May said. 

“Great, let me just grab my jacket.”

She went over to her bedroom and grabbed her leather bomber jacket off the back of her desk chair. When she came back, she saw that Daniel was standing over with her parents. They started to leave, and when Daisy noticed Daniel walking with them, she asked, “What are you doing?”

“Your dad invited me to lunch.”

“He did?”

“You know how your father is,” May said. “The more the merrier.”

“What about Simmons?” Daisy asked. 

“She already has something this afternoon.”

Daisy knew for a fact that Simmons had nothing going on and she looked back at her roommate, wanting very much to turn the Swiffer on _her_ as her roommate offered her a jaunty wave. 

“Okay then,” Daisy said tightly. “Well, let’s get to lunch.”

* * *

At the restaurant, Phil told Daniel about his and May’s latest vacation. They took full advantage of the summer break, spending several weeks under clear blue skies on sandy-white beaches.

“You really should go to Tahiti one day,” Phil said with an easy grin. “It’s a magical place.”

May nodded in agreement and said, “You know, sometimes I still dream about the snow crabs there.”

“I know. You talk in your sleep.”

“So, what about you?” May asked Daniel. “Have you had the opportunity to travel much?”

“Not really,” Daniel said. “I mean, I did a tour in Afghanistan, but I don’t really think that counts.”

“You served?” Daisy asked with surprise. 

Daniel nodded. “For three years. It was before I started teaching. Actually, it’s what led me to it.” He paused and Daisy nodded for him to continue. “We were there for a while and I had the opportunity to get involved with some of the local kids. I was stationed in a really poor area, and the kids were smart but there weren’t a lot of opportunities for them, so I started tutoring them in my spare time, teaching them English and stuff. I was proud to serve, but when I came home I realized it wasn’t the only way to make a difference.”

“So, you started teaching,” Daisy said.

He smiled slightly and said, “I had to go to school for it first, but yeah, pretty much.”

“Teaching is a definitely a calling,” Phil said. “And when it’s yours, there’s nothing better.”

“What do you do?” Daniel asked May.

“I’m a ballistics expert. I guess you can say my calling is a little different than yours.”

“Also 100% the better parent for take-your-kid-to-work-day,” Daisy chimed in.

“She’s right,” Phil said. “I could never compete.”

* * *

After lunch, they went back to their apartment, and after saying goodbye to her parents, Daisy stood in the elevator with Daniel, and said, “Hey, I’m sorry that I was sort of weird before.”

“No problem,” he said.

“I usually try not to sleep with my dad’s coworkers.”

“Technically your dad’s my boss,” Daniel said. “But, I know what you mean. I didn’t tell him or anything. I don’t really know why I would.”

“That doesn’t really seem like something that would come up in the breakroom.”

His gaze caught hers and her mouth curved into a grin that mirrored his own. 

“It’s sort of weird, isn’t it?” Daisy said. “First you’re here for the spare bedroom. Then you work with my dad.”

“And?”

“Someone is _really_ making us pay for sleeping together.”

Daniel laughed. “I guess that’s one way to see it.”

“Is there another?” Daisy said off-handedly, flicking a piece of brown leaf off her jacket sleeve. Daniel watched her, thinking about how the morning sun had set off her golden hair, and murmured, “No, I guess there’s not.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a shitty day so you get another chapter, lol. I hope you enjoy this!

Daniel walked out of his room, stopping short when he saw the corgi perched on one of their couch cushions. Daisy was sitting on the couch next to it, scrolling through her phone with one hand while she idly scratched behind the dog’s ear with the other. 

“I’m sorry, you guys haven’t always had a dog, right?” Daniel asked.

“What, you haven’t noticed Nicky here all this time?” Daisy mocked gently.

“Ignore her,” Simmons said from the kitchen. “Fitz is at a conference this weekend so I’m watching his dog.”

“I thought the building didn’t allow pets.”

Daisy snorted and said, “Okay, narc.”

“You are right, Daniel,” Simmons said. “Our building technically doesn’t allow pets but we also _technically_ don’t have one, so…”

“She looks pretty harmless,” Daniel said.

“Oh, it’s a he not a she,” Simmons said. “He’s named after Nicola Tesla. Fitz’s favorite engineer.”

“Sure,” Daniel said, thinking that from what he knew of Fitz, this made perfect sense.

“And you’re right, he is a perfect gentleman.” She walked over, crouching in front of Nicky and petting him as she cooed, “Aren’t you, Nicky?” After a moment, she looked back at Daniel, who was keeping his distance, and said, “You can pet him, if you’d like.”

“I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? He’s really rather sweet.”

“I’m not much of a dog person.”

Daisy looked up from her phone, looking at him with disbelief as she said, “How are you not a dog person? Everyone loves dogs.”

“It’s not that I don’t like them. I just don’t really get them.”

Daisy still wasn’t following and said, “What’s not to get? They’re dogs.”

“They never did much for me,” Daniel said with a shrug. “I never wanted one as a kid or anything like that.”

“Well, you’re clearly wrong,” Daisy said, picking up Nicky and putting him on her lap. “Because dogs are the greatest. Better than people most times, honestly.”

“I agree with that,” Simmons said.

“So, what sort of conference is Fitz at this weekend?” Daniel asked.

“Oh, it sounds absolutely _fascinating_. It’s a lecture series on nano-technology and its interplay with brain-sensing wearable machinations. I would have liked to have gone myself if I didn’t have a research article due on Monday.”

Daniel nodded blankly, not really understanding a word that was said between “fascinating” and “research article”, and said, “Yeah, that sounds pretty great.”

He headed into the kitchen to get himself a cup of coffee and Daisy called out from the couch, “Hey, can you get me one, too?” 

“Yeah sure.”

Daniel poured each of them a cup of coffee, topping his off with milk and hers with hazelnut creamer. When he brought her the coffee, she started to say, “Oh, did you – actually never mind. Thanks, Daniel.”

She took a sip, smiling slightly when she tasted the hazelnut creamer.

With Daisy’s two hands occupied with the coffee, Nicky began to rummage around the couch cushions, wedging his mouth deep into the crevice between two. Daniel watched with mild amusement, thinking that dogs weren’t that different from toddlers, and then Nicky came back up for air, a bit of gold foil peaking out from his mouth. It looked like a chocolate wrapper, and Daniel said, “Hey, aren’t dogs not supposed to have chocolate?”

“What?” Simmons said quickly, throwing herself toward Nicky and immediately prying the dog’s mouth open to take out whatever he’d found in the couch. Nicky didn’t take kindly to this, and twisted away, growling when Simmons dove in for a second try. She pulled out what was left of the gold-wrapped chocolate coin.

“Shit, do you think he ate any of it?” Daisy said.

“Well, I highly doubt it was half-bitten in the couch,” Simmons said, voice beginning to turn frantic. “This is not good. Fitz loves Nicky. _I_ love Nicky!”

“Okay, Google is saying that a little chocolate should only give him an upset stomach,” Daisy said. “That was just a little, right?”

“I don’t know! How do they define ‘a little’?”

Daisy read further and said, “They don’t.”

“I cannot kill Fitz’s dog. His mother already doesn’t like me. I cannot add this to the list, too!”

“Okay, we can handle this,” Daniel said resolutely, hoping to instill some calm into his increasingly frantic roommates. “Why don’t we take him to the Emergency Vet? That way, someone can take a look at him and make sure everything’s okay?”

“That’s a good idea,” Simmons said, nodding quickly. 

“Alright, let’s go,” Daisy said, tipping back her coffee to get down as much as she could. “Ow, that burned.”

“I’ll call the Uber,” Daniel said.

BBBBB

The Emergency Vet was crowded but they found seats near the back, Daisy and Daniel next to each other with Simmons across from them with Nicky on her lap. Daisy was nervous, thinking that maybe if she hadn’t gone quite so hard with her coffee, Nicky wouldn’t have gone couch-diving. She knew how much Fitz loved that dog, and while she hoped he wouldn’t blame them if something happened, she also sort of couldn’t blame him if he did. Beside her, Daniel grew stiff as a woman walked past them with a large German Shepard. The dog sniffed at Daniel’s knee as he said, “Good dog…good…okay, he’s moving now. Good.”

“You didn’t mention this part of you not liking dogs,” Daisy said, happy to have something to distract herself with.

“There’s nothing to explain. That dog was bigger than me. Therefore, reaction justified.”

She smirked. “You’re an interesting guy, Daniel.”

“Why do I get the feeling you’re making fun of me?”

“I’m not, I swear,” she said.

“Guys, do you think he looks any different?” Simmons asked worriedly. “I think he looks differently.”

“Let’s see,” Daniel said, leaning forward and taking a good look at the dog. “He looks the same to me.”

“Maybe a little perkier?” Daisy said hopefully. 

“Or the theobromine causing cardiac abnormalities,” Simmons said. 

“We really shouldn’t have let you read those articles on the way here,” Daniel said.

A vet technician walked into the common area and said, “Jemma Simmons? You can come back.”

Daniel and Daisy followed Jemma into a back room, the technician taking Nicky from Simmons and putting him on the examining table. She asked why they were there and then said, “Alright, the doctor will be in soon.”

A few minutes later, a tall man in a white coat walked in and said, “Well, we certainly have a full house tonight.” His gaze lingered on Daisy for a moment before he said, “My name is Dr. Winslow. It sounds like someone got into the chocolate stash?”

“Not a stash,” Simmons said. “Just a piece. It was wedged between some couch cushions.”

“If it helps, it was one of those chocolate coins,” Daisy said.

“Yes, a chocolate coin,” Simmons said. “Very small. And he only ate half of it.”

“Well, let me take a look at him,” Dr. Winslow said, putting on his stethoscope and beginning to listen to Nicky’s heartbeat. He checked a few more things and said, “Well, I have good news. Your little guy is going to be just fine.”

“Oh good,” Simmons breathed out. “Did you hear that, Daisy? He’s going to be okay.”

“Daisy?” Dr. Winslow said with surprise. He recovered quickly and said, “What a nice name.”

“Thanks,” Daisy said, looking at him strangely. 

“Anyway, he may have some stomach problems. If that happens, don’t worry. It’s just his body’s way of getting rid of the toxins. But, if he vomits more than a few times I want you to call me, okay?”

“Yes, absolutely. Thank you, Dr. Winslow.”

“You’re very welcome. Do you have any questions?” 

“No, I think we’re good. Thank you again.”

“It was my pleasure. You all have a nice day now.”

Dr. Winslow followed them out of the room, offering Daisy a congenial wave when she looked back, and then he told his technician, “Give me a few minutes before the next patient, okay?”

“Sure, no problem.”

Dr. Winslow went into the exam room and closed the door, taking his cell phone out of his pocket. He dialed quickly, and when she answered, he said, “Jiaying, you won’t believe who I just had at my clinic. I could hardly believe it, but it was her. I _know_ it. I just saw our daughter.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would love to hear your thoughts on this!


	4. Chapter 4

Growing up, Daisy didn’t wonder much about her birth parents. She became a part of the Coulson family when she was only a baby, and from a very young age, her parents were open about her being adopted. They told her the truth – that her birth parents were young when she was born, just out of high school, and they didn’t feel that they were equipped to raise a child. When she grew older, her parents told her that if she ever wanted to find her birth parents, they would help her. But, as the years passed, she never felt she needed to know them. It wasn’t out of bitterness or resentment. It just wasn’t something that really occurred to her. She had a good life, so why did she need to go searching for something?

But then, they found _her_.

Daisy didn’t have any sort of inkling that when she met Dr. Cal Winslow she was also meeting her father. Looking back, she would see the signs that she couldn’t have possibly understood at the time. The way his eyes had stopped on her like a record skipping. His reaction to her name. A week or so afterward, she received a letter.

“This is so random,” Daisy said, taking the letter from Simmons. “Who even gets letters anymore?”

She slid her finger under the lip of the envelope and ripped it open. Daniel skirted around her to pour himself a bowl of cereal, doing a double-take at the stricken expression on her face as she read, “Everything okay?”

She straightened immediately and said, “Yeah, I’m fine.”

She went over to her bedroom and closed the door securely behind her. She settled on top of her bed, reading the letter again. It was only half a page, but she read it over and over, not quite believing what she was reading. The letter was from her birth mother asking her to meet for coffee. Her mother set a time and place, telling Daisy that she would love to meet her, but she would understand if she chose to keep things as they were. 

Daisy didn’t know whether she would meet her. She was happy enough without knowing her birth mother, but she couldn’t deny that a part of her was curious. Would they look alike? Would they have some weird mannerisms in common like they always have in TV shows. Like, they both drank out of a coffee mug using two hands or they held a fork the same way? She wondered if she would feel something. Most people took it for granted that their parents were the same people who brought them into the world, but she didn’t have that. She didn’t know what it was like to be around someone that you shared DNA with.

In the end, it was curiosity that brought her to the coffee shop. She was surprised to first spot Cal Winslow, and then she looked at the woman beside him. While Daisy still didn’t feel anything with Dr. Winslow, somehow, the woman was immediately familiar. She didn’t exactly look like Daisy, but there was an echo of her in the woman’s face. 

Daisy stood awkwardly by the edge of the table and said, “Hi.”

“Daisy, hello,” the woman said, her voice warm and inviting. “I’m Jiaying. It’s so good to see you. Sit down, please.”

Daisy sat down opposite them, not quite knowing what do with her hands and settling with them on her lap. Her mother noticed her lack of drink and said, “You could have gotten yourself something.”

“Oh, I actually forgot,” Daisy said truthfully. “I guess I’m a little nervous.”

“I’ll get you something,” Cal said immediately. “What do you like?”

“You don’t have to,” Daisy said immediately. “I’m good. Really.”

“Nonsense. You can’t be at a coffee shop and not get coffee.”

“Okay, um, just a coffee with cream.”

Cal nodded and said, “That’s easy enough. I’ll be right back.”

Alone at the table, Jiaying leaned forward and said, “I’m sorry to have reached out to you out of the blue like this. But after Cal said you were at his clinic. Well, it seemed like a sign.”

“A sign?” 

Jiaying smiled slightly and nodded. “I’ve been thinking about you lately. I kept trying to imagine what you’d look like. You’re even more beautiful than I imagined.”

Daisy felt uncomfortable at the compliment and said, “So, I’m guessing Cal, he’s…”

“Yes, he’s your father,” Jiaying said. “Again, I’m sorry…I know this is a lot. I had planned for it to only be me today, but he was so excited to see you again.”

“It’s okay,” Daisy said. “It’s probably like ripping off a bandaid. Better to just, well, rip it off.”

“That’s one way to put it.”

“Alright, one coffee with cream,” Cal said, joining them again at the table. “I don’t know how much cream you like, so I went easy on it. I figured you could always add more.”

Daisy took a sip and said, “This is actually great. Thanks.”

As she took another sip, Cal said, “Daisy, there’s actually something we wanted to talk to you about.”

“Cal, no-“ Jiaying began, but it didn’t stop her husband.

“Your mother is sick.”

“I’m sorry?” Daisy said, feeling heat beneath her cheeks.

“Cal, stop it,” Jiaying said in a tight voice. She looked at her daughter and quickly said, “Daisy, this isn’t why-“

“Her liver is failing and she has months left on the donor list. She needs a transplant, otherwise she is in real danger of acute liver failure. I know this is sudden, but we have no other option. Our daughter Kora was going to have the surgery, but she’s not a match. But, then I met you. And we were hoping-“

“No, _we_ weren’t,” Jiaying said forcefully, cutting him off. “Cal, stop this right now.”

Daisy barely knew where to begin. Her mother was sick and needed a liver transplant. They – or at least her father – wanted her to be the one to provide the liver. Oh, and also, she apparently had a sister she never knew about. 

“It’s serious, Daisy. That’s why your mother reached out to you. She knows if she waits to get a liver from the transplant list it will be too late, and she wanted to see you before then.” He glanced over at his wife, who had all but deflated at his words, and said, “It wasn’t her idea to ask you for this. But…you could be a match. You could save her, Daisy.” 

Daisy looked between them and stammered, “I…I don’t know what to say.”

“I don’t expect anything more from you,” Jiaying said, her eyes watery. “This is enough. Seeing _you_ is enough.”

Daisy slid her hand around the coffee cup, finding some relief in the sting of heat in her palm. At least she could feel something there, because the rest of her was numb. She stood and said, “I forgot that I had something this afternoon. I really need to…”

“Of course,” Cal said. “But, please consider what I said.”

Daisy nodded, her gaze lingering on Jiaying. She noticed then how pale she was. The dark circles under her eyes.

“It was nice meeting both of you,” Daisy said, before turning around and walking out of the coffee shop. She walked home, working through the maelstrom of thoughts swirling in her head with each footstep. When she was home, only Daniel was there, and she sat opposite him and told him, “I just met my birth parents.”

Daniel hadn’t even known she was adopted, and he swallowed his surprise as he asked, “How did that go?”

“Well, turns out my birth mom needs a liver transplant or she’ll die and my birth dad is hoping I’ll give it to her.”

He wasn’t able to hide his reaction to that, and she said, “I know. Imagine hearing all of that in the middle of a coffee shop. Oh, and I also have a sister.”

“I feel like you should have had whiskey with all of that, not coffee.”

“You can say that again,” Daisy said, leaning her head back on the couch. She covered her eyes with her hands, feeling disproportionately tired for the early hour.

“So, what are you going to do?”

“I have no idea,” Daisy said. “All of it’s insane. I mean, they gave me up and now want me to literally give them part of an organ. But then…”

“Then what?” Daniel asked.

“I think about her daughter. Or my sister, I guess. That’s _her_ mom who’s going to die. And, if I were in her shoes and there was someone who could help. I’d do anything to make that happen.”

Daniel examined her face and said, “It sounds like you’re going to do it.”

“I don’t know,” Daisy said quickly. “I mean, it’s surgery. For basically a stranger.”

“Well, you don’t have to make a decision now.”

“No, I guess I don’t,” Daisy said. “God, this day turned out so much weirder than I thought it would. I mean, meeting my birth parents? Sure, that’s something. But then all of this?”

“Definitely more than you could have expected,” Daniel said. “But, you’ll handle it. You’re strong.”

She looked over at him and said, “You know this from the, what, three weeks you’ve known me?”

“It doesn’t take long to see people like you,” Daniel said.

“People like me?”

“Yeah, you know, the type who holds their own, no matter what’s thrown at them. The type to, oh, I don’t know, kick a perfectly nice guy out of bed in the morning.” 

She laughed, something that felt impossible after the day she had, and said, “Does this really feel like the time for that?”

“It made you laugh, though, didn’t it?”

She looked over at him, her gaze softening, and said, “Yeah, it did. Oh, and by the way, Dr. Winslow? My birth dad.”

“Wait, seriously? That actually explains a lot.”

Daisy sat up and stretched her back. “Well, after that shit storm, I am going to go take a nap.”

“Alright. If you need anything…”

“I know where you are,” she finished with a slight smile. She walked into her bedroom and closed the door, stretching out on her bed. She may have been miles away from that coffee shop, but in her mind, she was still sitting there with her birth parents. She reached over to her nightstand and picked up the letter. Jiaying had included her cell phone number incase Daisy wanted to speak with her over the phone instead of meeting. Daisy sat up, propping her back on a mound of pillows as she called.

“Hello?”

“Jiaying, hi. It’s Daisy.”

She could hear her mother exhale shakily. “I am so sorry about earlier. I never meant…”

“It’s okay.”

“Cal doesn’t always think the most clearly when family is involved,” Jiaying said. “But, I want you to know, I expect nothing. Seeing you today was enough.”

“How do I know if I’m a match?” Daisy asked, her chest tightening.

“It’s your blood type. I’m B- and Kora – our daughter – she’s O+. That’s why she’s not a match.”

Daisy was quiet for a moment, keeping the knowledge that she shared her mother’s blood type to herself, and then said, “I need some time.”

“Of course.”

“My sister, Kora, are you two close?” Daisy asked.

Daisy could almost hear the smile in Jiaying’s voice when she said, “Yes, we are. She’d love to meet you one day.”

“Maybe, one day.” Daisy took a deep breath. “Anyway, I should probably…”

“Yes, of course. Goodbye, Daisy.”

“Bye, Jiaying.”

Daisy walked back out into the living room and said to Daniel, “Remember that whiskey you mentioned? I need a large glass of it.”

“Do we have whiskey?”

Daisy took a deep breath. “No. But, we have wine and I feel like that works just as well.”

“Okay then. Let’s do that.”

He poured them each a glass and Daisy looked down at hers as she said, “I just called my birth mom. Turns out I’m a match.”

“What did she say?”

“I didn’t tell her, but…”

“Looks like this might be your last drink for a while?” Daniel said knowingly.

She looked up at him, eyes wide. “Yeah. I think it does.”


	5. Chapter 5

Daisy looked around the living room for her phone, figuring that it was just her luck that she would lose it when she was already running late. Simmons had her phone to her ear and said, “I’m calling it and it’s going straight to voicemail.”

Daisy groaned and said, “That’s because I put it on airplane mode when I sleep.”

“Since when?”

“I read an article,” Daisy said off-handedly. “Never again. Maybe I just go without it?”

“Go without what?” Daniel asked, coming out of his bedroom.

“Daisy lost her phone.”

“And now, I’m going to be late to my doctor’s visit,” Daisy said. 

Daniel opened up the refrigerator and spotted Daisy’s phone, which had been propped on top of a tub of cream cheese. He pulled it out, along with the jug of orange juice that had been his original target.

“I found it,” he said, handing it over.

“Okay, that is probably the weirdest place I have left my phone,” Daisy said, warming the small tablet between her hands. 

“You’re just nervous,” Simmons said, her voice warm and yielding. “This is the last visit before your surgery, right?”

Daisy nodded. “I should be cleared today and then, game time.”

Daniel finished his glass of orange juice and asked, “Are you taking the red line to your doctor’s office?”

“Yeah, why?”

“I’ll go with you. I’m heading that way.”

“What for?”

“A date.”

Simmons and Daisy exchanged a look, the former smirking as Daisy immediately asked, “What date?”

“It’s another teacher at school,” he said, checking his reflection in the microwave and smoothing down his hair. “She teaches art.”

“You didn’t want to date another history teacher?” Simmons asked.

“Considering the only other one is named Rob, no.”

“Are you sure my dad allows teachers to date?” Daisy asked. “Inter-office dating. It can be a disaster.”

“You and Ward dated for three years and you both worked in the same office,” Simmons pointed out.

“Yeah, and when we broke up I had to see him every day. It was a nightmare.”

“I’m not too worried,” Daniel said easily. “Let’s go. Didn’t you say you were running late?”

“Yes, I did,” Daisy said. She gave Simmons a small wave and then followed Daniel out of the apartment. As they rode down in the elevator she said, “So, tell me about her.”

“My date?”

“Duh, your date. Who else do you think I’m talking about?”

“Why are you so interested?” he asked, eyes challenging. 

“I’m about to go talk about someone cutting me open. Humor me?”

Daniel smirked. “Okay, fine. Her name is Elizabeth. She’s also newer at the school. She’s really nice.”

“Sounds like you know her well,” Daisy said, her voice sharper than she intended.

“That’s the point of dating someone,” Daniel said. “To get to know them better.”

“Dating?” Daisy said. “So, you expect there to be more?”

They walked down the steps to the train, and Daniel said, “Yeah, probably. We’ve already gone out a few times.”

Daisy was quiet, noting that this bothered her and she didn’t quite know why. Despite how they met, he was the exact sort of person she tried not to get involved with. After her last long-term relationship, she had decided that they were not for her. She had years to settle down, so why rush in? And yet, here she was, feeling jealous about her roommate – a man who practically screamed long-term-commitment – dating another woman.

They inserted their train passes into the entryway and made it to the track just in time to catch a train. They sat in a two-seater near the middle of the train car, their knees brushing as the train rattled on toward the next stop.

“So, where is your date?” Daisy asked.

“We’re going to an art museum.”

“That’s sort of perfect for you two,” Daisy said.

He laughed. “Yeah, I guess it is.”

They fell silent as the train continued on, Daisy furtively glancing over at him. He was staring at nothing in particular, his eyes casually following new people as they entered the train. He had a nice face. A sharply cut nose set above a softly squared jaw. He was handsome by all accounts, that certainly played a role in how they met, but Daisy hadn’t really taken the time to sit with that before. To really look at him. He felt her gaze and looked over, Daisy blinking rapidly before she said, “Sorry, I’m just lost in my thoughts.”

“It’s okay. Are you nervous?”

She was and she had a sudden urge to ask him to go with her. But instead, she shook her head and told him, “I’m okay. It’ll all be over soon.” She took a deep breath, reverting to humor, her most natural defense mechanism. “And then I’ll have you and Simmons to dote on me.”

“Why do I have a feeling you’re going to be a needy patient?”

“I’ll only require 24-7 care.”

He smirked. “Oh, only that?”

Her stop came up and she said, “Well, this is me. Have fun on your date.”

“Thanks. I’ll see you at home.”

Something about the way he said the last part made her stomach twist, and she cast one last look at him before she got off the train, making her way to her doctor’s office. It was a quick visit, her doctor telling her that all the tests came back good and she would be scheduled for surgery the next week. Daisy went home, feeling the smallest bit disappointed. There had always been the chance that something outside of her control would stop the surgery, but now it was really happening. Her nerves pulled tight as the reality came into view. Still, she knew it was the right thing. She just wished the right thing didn’t involve a scalpel.

That afternoon, she sat on the couch with Simmons, wondering when Daniel would come home. Every time there was a rustle in the hallway, she looked at the door. He came home around dinnertime, looking tired but content.

“How’d it go?” he asked, sitting next to her on the couch.

“We’re good to go for next week. I called scheduling and I’m going in on Tuesday.”

“Tuesday, wow. Well, whatever you need, I’m here.”

Simmons had a research conference the day of the surgery that she couldn’t get out of, so Daisy gingerly asked, “I was hoping you could go with me to the hospital? I know it’s sort of weird since we haven’t known each other that long, but Simmons can’t go, and –“

“I’ll be there,” he said, reaching down and covering her hand with his. It was a quick gesture, surely meant as a comfort and nothing more, but Daisy felt her heartbeat quicken. Her breath catching in a way that was both new and familiar at the same time. Slowly, she turned her hand beneath his, palms pressing together before she threaded their fingers. He didn’t say anything, but she swore she could feel his heartbeat through his palm keeping pace with hers.

“Daisy, can you come over here for a second?” Simmons called out from her bedroom.

The moment was broken, and Daisy pulled her hand away. 

“I better go see what she wants,” Daisy said.

He nodded, his hand now clamped tightly over his knee. She wanted to reach over and smooth the tension from his knuckles, but she had already pushed this further than she should have. She didn’t know what she was doing and he was dating someone.

She walked over to Simmons’ room and closed the door behind her. Before Simmons could tell her why she had called her over, Daisy said, “I think I like Daniel.”

In response, Simmons simply said, “Yes.”

“Yes?” Daisy said in a low voice, not wanting Daniel to hear. “What do you mean yes?”

“It’s been obvious to everyone but you. And probably Daniel.”

“Well, I’m guessing he knows now considering what just happened on the couch.”

“Really? What happened on the couch?” She grimaced suddenly and said, “Are we going to need to get it cleaned?” 

“No, nothing like that. You know, figuring this out right before my surgery? Not great timing.”

“You can sort it out after,” Simmons said. “What’s a week when you have your _entire_ lives ahead of you.”

“Whoah, okay, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I mean, no one is talking about the rest of our lives.” Simmons gave her a look and she added, “He’s also dating someone.”

“You said they went on a few dates. I’d hardly call that serious. Look, take the next week to think it over. It’s not that long of a time.”

Daisy nodded. “You’re right. So, what did you call me in here for, anyway?”

Simmons cheeks flushed red and she looked down at her laptop and said, “I am so sorry, guys. I –“

“Forgot we were here?” a voice said from the machine.

Simmons turned around her laptop, where their friends, Mack and Elena, were on the screen.

“They Face-Timed from Mexico and wanted to say hi.”

Daisy smiled awkwardly at her friends and said, “So, you guys were…”

“Yep,” Elena said. “Here the entire time. Now, who’s Daniel?”


	6. Chapter 6

After the hand holding incident – something Simmons thought was comically quaint for a woman in her late twenties - Daisy slept on it and decided it was a mistake, only to swiftly change her mind when she ran into him in the kitchen, the mere sight of him in front of the coffee machine making her heart beat like the Energizer rabbit. For his part, he acted as if it didn’t happen. She didn’t know if it was for her sake, since she wasn’t mentioning it and had a fairly momentous thing happening in a week, or he had written it off himself. Either way, she was appreciative of the reversion back to normal and didn’t question it further. That was for after the surgery when she would have nothing to do but lie around and think about how she developed feelings for her one-night-stand who turned into a sort of roommate.

The morning of the surgery, Daisy was nervous, her stomach seeming to turn in on itself as she stared up at her ceiling from bed, counting down the minutes until her alarm went off. It was a good thing she couldn’t eat, because getting anything down would have been impossible. Her alarm went off at four o’clock and Daisy quickly got dressed, finding Daniel already in the kitchen making a pot of coffee. He heard her and turned around mid-yawn.

“I’m sorry this has you up so early,” Daisy said.

“My alarm doesn’t go off that much later for work,” he said. “And, besides, coffee makes everything tolerable. You can have one cup, right?”

Daisy nodded.

He reached into the cabinet and pulled out her favorite mug. Her parents had bought it for her back when she was a kid on a trip to Disney World. The pattern had faded now and there was a small chip on the lip, but she still drank out of it almost every morning. Daniel filled the mug with coffee and handed it to her.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m nervous,” Daisy admitted. “I know this is a pretty routine thing, but after the doctor went through all the possible complications, I’m not feeling too great.”

“They have to tell you all of that because of lawyers,” Daniel said. “Not because it’s going to happen to you.”

“At least my surgeon is hot,” Daisy said. “If I die, I’ll feel better knowing he was the last person to touch me.”

Daniel took a sip of coffee and casually returned, “How do you know he’d be the last person? There are a lot of people involved in a surgery.”

“Well, gee, thanks for the new concern.”

“Don’t worry, everything will be fine. And when it’s all over, I will be there to gently remind you that I told you so.”

Daisy smiled. “Something tells me that you’ll enjoy that.”

“So, are your parents meeting us there?”

Daisy suddenly found her coffee mug very interesting, and said, “No.”

“So, they’re meeting us after?”

“Okay, so don’t judge me, but I sort of didn’t tell them.” Daniel went to respond, and she quickly said, “They only would have tried to talk me out of it. Well, my mom would have. And, this was stressful enough without throwing disapproval into the mix, so I made an executive decision.”

“Your mom is going to kill you. And now you’ve made me an accomplice in all of this!”

“No, see, I thought this through. I will be recovering from major surgery, so she’ll have to go easy on me. And, in her view, you’re temporary, which means not worth the time it would take to hold a grudge.”

“Hold on, why am I temporary?”

“Because you’re subletting.” She noticed that he seemed mildly hurt, and added, “But, you’re not.”

“Subletting?” he returned sarcastically.

“Temporary.” she said, feeling an electricity spark between them that was no longer new, and achingly familiar. “You’re not temporary.”

He didn’t say anything but his eyes spoke volumes as they bore into hers. She knew then with certainty that he had thought about the couch just as much as she had over the past week, and it was something that both terrified and thrilled her at the same time. 

“Anyway, we should probably start heading to the hospital,” Daisy said. “I heard checking in can take a while.”

“Yeah, good idea.” 

* * *

Checking in did not, in fact, take long, and Daisy and Daniel sat in the waiting room, Daisy watching the door for Jiaying and Cal. Beside her, Daniel read through an old _Cosmopolitan_ , shaking his head as he went through some article called “69 Ways to Blow His Mind”.

“Where do they come up with some of these things?” he said.

Daisy looked down at the magazine and said, “I’ve actually done some of those. I wouldn’t recommend them.” She pointed at one in the middle of the page and said, “That one landed my ex and me in the Emergency Department.”

Daisy’s attention went back to the entryway, and she knocked her knee against Daniel’s when Jiaying came in. 

“That’s her.” There was a younger woman with her who looked to be about five or six years younger than Daisy. “That must be her daughter with her.”

Jiaying came over and said, “Daisy, hi. It’s so good to see you.”

“Afraid I’d get cold feet?” Daisy joked and immediately regretting it. Stupid nerves.

Jiaying’s voice was warm when she said, “No. It’s just good to see you.” Her eyes slid over to Daniel and she asked, “Is this your boyfriend?”

Despite it being a natural assumption, Daisy’s cheeks flushed and she stammered, “Oh, no. This is Daniel.”

“I’m the roommate. Well, one of them,” Daniel said. “It’s great to meet you.”

“I’m Kora,” the young woman said to Daisy, her voice soft and shy. “I can’t thank you enough for doing this. It means more than you know.”

Daisy nodded, feeling tears unexpectedly press at the back of her eyes. “So, where’s Cal?”

“Parking the car,” Jiaying said. “He should be in here soon.”

As if on cue, Cal walked in and sat next to his wife. He grinned wide at Daisy and said, “Great to see you, Daisy. I’m guessing this is your boyfriend?”

Before Daisy or Daniel could correct him, Jiaying said, “Daniel’s her roommate. And he was kind enough to come with her this morning.”

“You’re a good man,” Cal said, extending his hand and shaking Daniel’s heartily. 

There was a length of silence, and then Cal asked, “So, was the traffic bad for you coming here?”

“No, the roads were pretty open,” Daniel said. After a pause he asked, “You?”

“Nice and open for us, too. Nothing but smooth sailing.”

Another stretch of silence, and Cal said, “There really isn’t good small talk before something like this, is there?”

“I think maybe some quiet would be nice,” Jiaying told her husband gently, laying her hand on his leg.

“Sure, yes. Quiet is good.”

Sometime later, a nurse walked out into the room and said, “Daisy Coulson? They’re ready for you.”

Daisy stood up and looked back at Jiaying before gamely saying, “I guess I’ll see you on the other side.”

Jiaying smiled. “I can’t wait.”

Daniel hesitated to follow Daisy, not knowing if she wanted him to come with, and the nurse misread the situation and said, “Your husband can come back with you.” 

Daniel went to correct her, but Daisy just shook her head and said, “We might as well lean into it at this point. Come on, hubby.”

* * *

Two months back, when Daniel went home with a girl from the bar, he never expected it to lead him here to a hospital waiting room making awkward small talk with her father. Despite Cal’s gregarious nature, he was remarkably bad at small talk. Luckily, years of parent teacher conferences steeled Daniel for this precise moment. He easily maneuvered the conversation from one topical area to the next, fielding conclusory answers and awkward pauses. 

“Is anyone here for Daisy Coulson?” a nurse asked.

Daniel stood, suddenly nervous despite all his earlier overtures about her doing fine. He relaxed when the nurse said, “She’s out of surgery. You can come and see her, if you’d like.”

Daniel looked back at Cal to see if he wanted to come with, and Cal said, “No, you go see her first. Thank you, though.”

Daniel nodded and then followed the nurse through a labyrinth of hallways until they reached Daisy’s room. She was asleep, the monitor that she was hooked up to making a steady beeping noise that Daniel found oddly calming.

“If you need anything, just press the call button,” the nurse said, and Daniel nodded, settling into the seat next to the bed. He thought to himself how much smaller she looked in the hospital bed. She had such a large personality that she seemed somewhat larger than life in person. Simmons always used to joke that Daisy’s attitude gave her at least an extra two inches. 

Daisy began to stir, and he leaned forward and said, “Hey there. How are you feeling?”

She considered the question and then grinned, bleary eyes meeting his as she said, “Good”, drawing out the word for several syllables.

Daniel smirked. “Enjoying the pain meds, huh?”

“They didn’t tell me about these. This…this right here could have convinced me to have the surgery. Boom. Decision made.”

“I’m just glad you’re doing okay. I have to admit, I got a little worried when the nurse first came out to get me.”

“You were worried about me? That’s so nice. You’re so nice. I like you, Daniel.”

Daniel didn’t think too much of her morphine-laced confession, and casually said, “I like you, too, Daisy.”

Undeterred, Daisy said, “No, I _like_ you, Daniel. I likeyou…in a, you know, me wanting to smash _my_ mouth against _your_ mouth way, yeah?”

Daniel couldn’t help but laugh, and he leaned forward and took her hand as he said, “Yeah, I get what you mean.” 

She gazed at him, cheek pressed against her pillow, and murmured, “I can’t feel my tongue.”

“Wow, okay,” he said, squeezing her hand. “You aren’t going to remember any of this when those medication wear off, are you?”

Before she could respond, Phil and Melinda burst into the room, the latter exclaiming, “Did you seriously give someone part of your liver without telling us?”

“We’re not mad,” Phil said immediately.

“Speak for yourself,” her mother said.

Daniel winced, looking back at them as he said, “Hi Mr. and Mrs. Coulson.”

“ _He_ knew and we didn’t?” Melinda said, pointing at Daniel. “Seriously?”

“Hi Daniel,” Phil said with a wide grin. “Great to see you.”

“I had a reason for doing what I did,” Daisy said evasively. “I can’t really remember what it was....but, guys, look I’m totally fine. And the liver regenerates like some weird alien organ, so it’s all good.”

“It is so _not_ good,” Melinda said, her voice already softening. She sat on the edge of the bed, pushing her daughter’s hair away from her face. “But, you're right. At least you’re okay.”

“You know, you can stay with us when you’re recovering,” Phil said. 

“No, I’ll be okay. I have Simmons and Daniel to help.”

Phil looked over at Daniel and said, “I’m guessing this wasn’t exactly what you thought you were signing up for when you agreed to rent the room for a few months, huh?"

Daniel couldn’t help but look over at Daisy as he said, “I’m okay with it.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI - I have not seen tonight's episode yet (I watch Thursday mornings) so please no spoilers in reviews if you choose to leave one. Thank you!!!


	7. Chapter 7

In the wake of Daisy’s surgery, she found herself with a lot of different people hovering and telling her what to do. As someone who never did particularly well with either of those things, it wasn’t much fun. She stood at the sink, filling a glass of water, when Simmons walked toward her and said, “Why are you getting that for yourself?” Simmons looked back at Daniel, who was on the couch that Daisy had just left. “Why didn’t you get this for her?”

“She wouldn’t let me,” Daniel said. “And she said if I tried, she’d spill it on me.”

“Daisy,” Simmons said admonishingly. “You’re supposed to be _resting_.”

“I’m also supposed to be walking a little every day. And, you know what this is…” she made a small gesture, due to her stitches, between the sink and couch, “…a walk. And even better, a walk that ends in hydration, also something the doctor told me to make sure I was doing.”

“You really can’t argue with her,” Daniel said.

“At least tell me you didn’t reach high in the cabinets,” Simmons said.

“I promise, no higher than eye level.” Daisy noted that Simmons was dressed a cut above her usual Saturday outfit, and asked, “Where are you off to?”

“Fitz got us tickets for the Shakespeare theater, remember?”

“You do realize how cliché you and Fitz seeing a Shakespeare play is, right?”

“We love Shakespeare.” 

Daisy made a face and Simmons said, “You have no room to judge. Your favorite movie of all time is _Space Jam_.”

“Yes,” Daisy said. “It’s a cinematic classic.”

Daisy’s incision site had started to ache from her being standing for so long, and Simmons easily deciphered the slight change in her roommate’s expression, casually guiding her back to the couch with a hand at her elbow as she lightly said, “I question any movie starring Michael Jordan as being a cinematic classic, but I know your stance.”

“And I hold it staunchly,” Daisy said, settling back next to Daniel. She gave Simmons a grateful smile and said, “Tell Fitz I say hi.”

“I will. What are your thoughts on ice cream? We can pick some up from Plush Horse on the way home.”

Daisy nodded. “That sounds good. Thanks, Simmons.”

“Of course. I’ll see you guys later.”

After Simmons left, Daniel said, “I had no idea you had such strong opinions about _Space Jam_.”

“It’s a perfect movie.”

He shrugged. “I’ll take your word for it.”

Daisy looked over at him with surprise and said, “You haven’t seen it? Are you kidding?” He shook his head and she said, “How have you never seen _Space Jam_? Daniel!”

“Don’t yell at me,” he said, laughing at the fervor with which she objected to this particular lapse in his movie education. “It’s just a movie.”

“It is not just a movie,” Daisy said reverently. “It’s an experience. You know what, it’s decided. We’re watching it.”

“Okay,” Daniel said immediately. 

They hadn’t talked about what happened at the hospital, but when they came home, it was pretty clear that something had shifted. He was by her side constantly, and he was one of the few people she didn’t automatically want to push away. A few days ago, Daisy heard him mention to Simmons that he and the arts teacher had parted ways, so she didn’t feel bad when he spent all day with her on the couch, their feet propped up on the coffee table, or sometimes just hers on his lap. 

“Is the movie streaming somewhere?” Daniel asked, leaning forward and picking up the remote.

“No, we’ll watch my DVD. That way we can watch the extras after.”

Daniel couldn’t help but grin at the fact that she had it on DVD. He knew when _Space Jam_ came out, and the fact that she had it on DVD must have been that at some point, she specifically sought it out. 

“Okay, where’s the DVD?”

Daisy pointed at the TV stand and said, “There are a bunch of DVDs behind the doors.”

Daniel moved over to the TV stand and opened the doors, seeing several messy stacks of DVDs. He pulled out a handful, leafing through a surprisingly eclectic selection of movies before he found the _Space Jam_ DVD. He put it in and sat next to Daisy. She squeezed his leg and said, “This is a momentous occasion, Daniel. Your life will literally never be the same.”

“I feel like you might be overselling this movie.”

“Not possible.”

* * *

About an hour later, Daisy dozed off, the afternoon scheduled pain medication hitting her. Daniel paused the movie and grabbed a blanket for her before settling back onto the couch next to her. She curled up against him, head against his shoulder, and he smiled slightly, reaching over for a book and tucking into a chapter. She stirred fifteen or twenty minutes later, beginning to stretch but then wincing when her stitches protested.

“Hey, careful there,” Daniel said.

“Sorry I feel asleep,” Daisy said. “And we were just getting to my favorite part, too.”

“You didn’t miss it,” he said. “I paused the movie when I saw you were asleep.”

“You did? But I’ve seen it a hundred times. That’s not even an exaggeration. I’ve literally seen it at least a hundred times.”

He shrugged and said, “I wanted to watch it with you.”

He was too perfect. Or maybe he really didn’t want to watch the rest of _Space Jam_. Either way, there was something incredibly sweet about him waiting to watch it with her – because in eitherscenario he _was_ finishing the movie – and she leaned toward him, moving achingly slow until her mouth pressed against his. He wasn’t surprised, but really, neither was she. They had been moving toward this for a while. He kissed her back gently, pushing her hair away from her face and then framing it with his hands. With her stitches, there was no chance of the kiss going further, and so it seemed perfectly natural when she pulled away and said, “Start where we left off?”

He grinned and nodded. “Yeah.”

And so he pressed play, and she put her head back on his shoulder, smiling softly when she felt his lips brush the top of her head. Sitting with him watching _Space Jam_ , nothing had really changed but everything felt different. 

“You’re right,” he murmured above her. “This is a pretty good movie.”

“Told you so.” She poked him lightly in the chest and he captured her hand with his, holding it lightly on his lap. That was exactly how Simmons and Fitz found them when they came back from their play. Without hesitation, Simmons told Fitz, “You owe me twenty dollars.”


	8. Chapter 8

“You know, you do have your own bed.”

Daniel turned toward her on his side and asked with a grin, “Are you trying to tell me something?”

“Simmons and Fitz are going to start to talk,” she teased.

“I’m pretty sure they already have. Besides, you have nicer sheets than me.”

“You’re not wrong. I’m pretty sure guys I slept with in college had the same sheets as you.” 

“What now?” Daniel asked.

“Oh wow, so we’re having that conversation,” Daisy said. “I hate to break it to you, but there _were_ ones before you, Daniel.”

He smirked and said, “I didn’t mean that. I’m just offended you think my sheets are that old. You graduated college, when, 2012? That’s eight years.”

“Are you calling me old?”

“Well, you did call my sheets old,” Daniel returned, his hand finding the curve of her waist. “Fair is fair.”

They both leaned forward, meeting for an unhurried kiss. They had been like this for the past few weeks. Daniel in her bed, and any talk of the end of his sublet seemingly nonexistent. Simmons excitedly trilled one morning that they were dating, and while Daisy’s gut reaction was to balk at the label, she couldn't help but smile and hide it in her coffee cup.

“My parents are coming for lunch this afternoon,” Daisy said. “And, considering my dad is pretty obsessed with you, you better clear your schedule.”

“Your dad is not obsessed with me.”

“He asks about you literally every time he calls me.”

“Well, just wait until he learns about this,” Daniel said off-handedly. “Most dads aren’t the biggest fan.”

“The biggest fan of what?”

“You know, the guy sleeping with their daughter,” Daniel said, noticing the shift in Daisy’s expression.

“Sure. I’m the girl you’re sleeping with. Right.”

“Hey, did I say something wrong?”

“Nope. You’re exactly right.” She reached down to the ground and grabbed a shirt, pulling it over her head. “I need to get ready for lunch.”

“It’s only 9 a.m.”

“Yeah, well, sometimes it takes me longer.” She stared at him, clearly waiting for him to leave, and when he caught on he said, “Daisy, I-”

She didn’t let him finish, walking into the bathroom and shutting the door behind her loudly. Daniel stayed stunned in the bed for a moment before he pulled on a pair of pajama pants and a shirt, and headed out to the kitchen. Simmons was sitting at the kitchen island with Fitz, who had picked up a dozen donuts for the apartment that morning. Simmons was mid-chew when Daniel came out, and behind her hand, she said, “Well, this is an early sighting.”

“Yeah, you two usually don’t come out of there until 10 at the earliest on a weekend,” Fitz said.

Daniel rubbed the back of his neck and said, “Yeah, well, I guess this morning is different.”

Simmons immediately sensed something was off, and asked, “What happened?”

“What? Nothing happened,” Daniel said immediately.

“No, I can tell by your tone that something happened.”

“Maybe you should just leave it, Jemma,” Fitz said. “It’s not really any of our business.”

“Nonsense. These are our _friends_. Of course, it’s our business.” She looked over at Daniel and said, “Talk to me. Maybe I can help!”

Daniel considered it as he poured himself a cup of coffee, and then walked over to Simmons, facing her across the island. 

“I think it’s something I said.”

“Okay, well, what did you say?”

Daniel took a deep breath. “She was saying how her parents were coming over for lunch today and her dad would probably invite me since he likes me or something.”

“He does seem oddly fond of you,” Fitz said.

“Anyway, I said something along the lines of that may change once he finds out that I’m the guy she’s sleeping with.”

“That’s all?” Fitz said.

“Yeah, that’s about it.”

While Simmons frowned, Fitz said, “I don’t get it. Why would that upset her?”

“You don’t understand because you’re a boy,” Simmons told her boyfriend gently, patting his hand. “It sounded like you were reducing your relationship to something physical.”

“But I wasn’t,” Daniel said. “I was just making some dumb joke.”

Simmons nodded slowly and said, “Yeah, you guys tend to do that.”

“She has to know I was just joking,” Daniel said, suddenly very distracted by the sound of the shower coming from Daisy’s bathroom. “Right?”

Simmons leaned forward and in a low voice said, “If Daisy knew I was telling you this she’d kill me, but it’s been a while since she’s opened up to someone like she has with you. And I think that may make her a bit less receptive to jokes like that?”

“But she jokes like that all the time.”

Simmons smiled sadly and said, “Humor is a very effective defense mechanism.”

Daniel took a deep breath. “So, I need to talk to her.”

Simmons nodded. “That is probably for the best.”

“Okay,” he said, taking a large gulp of coffee. He went to leave, but then turned back and said, “Hey, do you think this talk we had here-“

“Our lips are sealed,” Simmons said.

Daniel sipped back into Daisy’s room, waiting for her at the edge of the bed. He listened to the patter of the shower, nerves coursing through him when the shower turned off. A few minutes later, Daisy came out in her robe. That robe had always made him smile – turquoise blue with puffy white clouds. It seemed like an item of clothing completely opposite to its inhabitant.

“Gee, lurk much?” Daisy said, turning toward her vanity and picking up a comb to brush out her wet hair.

“I know we’re not just sleeping together,” Daniel said levelly, watching the comb halt at her scalp. The hiccup only lasted for a second, and she quickly brought the tines of the comb down through her hair.

“That’s certainly one part of us,” he continued. “A part that, frankly, I’m a big fan of. But it’s not the most important part. Not even close.”

Daniel’s gaze followed her as she combed her hair, noticing that she was purposely avoiding looking at him. 

“And if, for some weird reason, your dad finds out today that we’re sleeping together.” Her eyes met his in the mirror. “I’ll also tell him that I think you’re one of the most remarkable women I have ever met.”

“One of the most?” Daisy asked, attempting levity but he could see her hand trembling.

“The most,” Daniel said, slowly standing. He walked over to her and braced his hands on her waist. “Even if you think _Space Jam_ is the best movie ever made.”

“I thought you liked _Space Jam_.”

“I do, but best movie ever made? Come on.”

He slid his arms around her waist, and she covered his arms with hers, leaning back against him. Daisy didn’t know if she would ever stop being surprised at how completely content she felt in his arms. Part of her hoped she never would.

“I really like you,” she said.

“I’m glad to hear that,” he murmured into her ear. “Because I really like you, too.”

She turned around, winding her arms around his neck as she pulled him in for a kiss. Standing, he was about a head taller than her, and she rose on her tiptoes, holding onto him even tighter until her transplant scar – which had only recently healed over – began to protest at the stretch. She settled back down on her heels and said, “You better get in the shower sometime this morning, too. I’m officially making you go to lunch.”

“Oh really?” he asked, eyebrow arched.

“Really. Think of it as boyfriend duties.”

There was a question there, but Daniel didn’t need to ask it. Instead, he dipped his head down to hers and kissed her. 

“What else do these boyfriend duties entail? I’m very curious.”

“Well, obviously breakfast in bed,” Daisy said, beginning to walk toward the door. “And matching outfits. That’s a very important part.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

They walked out of her bedroom, and Daisy said, “Simmons, tell Daniel that part of being a boyfriend is matching outfits.”

Simmons looked between them, flashing Daniel an ebullient grin, before she said, “Undoubtedly. Because really, what looks smarter than a matching sweater set?”

Simmons got up to talk with Daisy, the two of them continuing to joke and laugh, and Daniel sat next to Fitz who pushed the box of donuts toward him.

“Sugar helps keep up with their high energy,” Fitz said.

Daniel smirked and picked up a vanilla long john while Fitz helped himself to another jelly donut. Fitz knocked his donut against Daniel’s in a sort of cheer and then they contently watched the women they loved loudly talk, both thinking how lucky they were to be there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was such a fluff ball, but I'm stressed about tomorrow's finale so it was needed! I hope you enjoyed this!!

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know if you'd like to see more!


End file.
